Exercise apparatus

Abstract

An exercise apparatus having a pair of arms which are rotatable about a horizontal axis permitting a user to grasp handles attached thereto and to windmill the user's arms so that the arms of the machine will rotate about an axis extending through the shoulder joint connected to the user's arms. An adjustable resistance mechanism is provided to allow the user to adjust the resistance to rotation of the arms. The arms on the machine are adjustable in length from the rotational axis to handgrips and an adjusting mechanism is also provided to adjust the distance of the rotational axis from the surface on which the user is standing.

I claim: 
     
       1. An exercise apparatus comprising: a base;   a first support member attached to said base;   a second support member attached to said base, the second support member being spaced from said first support member;   a first arm;   means for rotatably attaching said first arm to said first support member about a substantially horizontal axis;   a second arm;   means for rotatably attaching said second arm to said second support member about a substantially horizontal axis;   first handle means operably attached to one end of said first arm for permitting a person to hold onto the first handle means;   second handle means operably attached to one end of said second arm means for permitting a person to hold onto said second handle means;   resistance means for resisting the rotation of said first and second arms;   the distance between said first handle means and said first substantially horizontal axis being substantially the average length of a human arm;   first means for pivotally attaching said first handle means to said one end of said first arm for allowing pivoting of said first handle means with respect to said first arm about at least two axes, whereby a user can grasp said first handle means with one hand and keeping the respective elbow straight can rotatably windmill the respective arm 360° about the respective shoulder joint thereof; and   second means for pivotally attaching said second handle means to said one end of said second arm for allowing pivoting of said second handle means with respect to said second arm about at least two axes, whereby a user can grasp said second handle means with one hand and keeping the respective elbow straight can rotatably windmill the respective arm 360° about the respective shoulder joint thereof; and transmission means for synchronizing the rotation of said arms.   
     
     
       2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the distance of said first handle means from the horizontal axis that said first arm is rotatably attached about and the distance of said second handle means from the horizontal axis that said second arm is rotatable about are both approximately the length of an average adult human's arm. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of claim 1 including means for adjusting the distance of said first handle means from the horizontal axis that said first arm is rotatably attached about and the distance of said second handle means from the horizontal axis that said second arm is rotatable about. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said horizontal axes are generally parallel. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of claim 4 including means attached to said base for adjusting the distance between the horizontal axis about which both of said first and second arms are rotatable and said base, whereby the horizontal axis can be adjusted to be at the same height as the joints between the shoulders and the arms of the user. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of claim 1, including means associated with said resistance means for adjusting the amount of resistance of said resistance means whereby the user can change the amount of resistance to the windmilling of the user's arms. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of claim 6, said transmission means includes means for holding said first and second arms substantially 180° out of phase.